Something Pretty
by LaueHime
Summary: AU. Haley's body is covered in scars and burns from her heavy past. Nobody accepts her...she's no one. She had Lucas as a friend but he got popular...may a new person arriving in town change her life forever? NALEY. RR
1. I

_Hey guys, I know what you must all be thinking right now, 'another story uh…' but I got a story request from__ xxlovin-laffertyxx (I love your nickname ;-P) and I thought the idea was so good that I decided to write it asap._

_Here's your story xxlovin-laffertyxx, I hope you enjoy this as much as everyone who can enjoy this new story with you._

_I hope it doesn't sound too weird since it's the first time I'm writing a Naley story._

_Enjoy!!_

--

Haley sat at one of the tables on the quad. It was dinner time and she was out of class to grab something to eat. A cool breeze brushed her cheeks. She brought her hand to her cheek and could feel to feeling of her burned skin. The whole left side of her face was burned. She had had a few surgeries to fix that but it was still visible.

She ate alone, sometimes hearing a few shouts toward her. People would call her names. The one she hated the most was _freak._ There was also _monster _and _ass head_. Those, she could care less but it still hurt a little. People were so mean and fake. Some of them lied just to fit in. Those who were trying to stand out were just brought back to reality by people shouting names. Every single crew had a name.

The emos were ignored or laughed at, you couldn't be part of a band or you'd be a geek, you couldn't have no friends without being called a loner or a loser and everything made it ten times worse.

Haley was one of them. She had no friends. Well, she used to…in the past time, she had Lucas, her best friend in the world. He made her feel whole again. Ever since the fire happened and took his dad's life, Lucas had always been the one for her. He had never seen anything ugly in her. Even her body, burned and full of scars couldn't make him go away…that was until he got popular.

She knew it would happen but when it did, it had hurt a thousand times more than when she anticipated it. Alone. She was always alone.

"Hey, check this out, here's the _freak_!" someone shouted.

Haley knew this voice all to well. It was coming from the most popular, the most beautiful and powerful girl of the school, Brooke Davis. She hated her. Every wealthy kids, she actually despised them. They always thought they were the top of the world when they were nothing, really. Even if Brooke was like the _prom queen_ of the school, she had nothing on Haley. No power, no strength. She couldn't get to her like she got to anyone else she teased.

Of course, the little crowd around Brooke started laughing. Some were whistling to her while the others shouted names in her direction. Haley could care less. She knew she was better than that.

She waited for the little crowd to evaporate so she could have free way into the school. The bell rang; she knew this was her cue. Time to get back in class and receive the annual nicknames. Sometimes, she wondered if even the teacher was scared of her. She was really smart but she never had the chance to prove it. No one would let her talk or give her answer and when she did, the names would come rushing back and she would feel hurt again and go back at home, crying.

Her life was a living hell. She hated being at school as much as she hated being at home with her mom. Things had never been the same after that night, the night her died was taken away from her.

She had always had a bond with his father. They connected. Every time she couldn't sleep, she would just join him and curl up in a ball in his arms. Then, sleep would come immediately and she would feel good. It was so long ago since she had that feeling, comfort.

She walked at her locker, past Lucas and his new friends, the jocks and the chicks. He saw the sadness in her eyes but didn't say a thing. He just watched her as she opened her locker and took her books out. Brooke noticed his eye connection, of course, she was wondering why he wasn't looking at her.

"Hey handsome, why are you looking at her?", she made emphasis on the _her_ like if she was dirt.

"Why are you making everything to hurt her?" Lucas snapped.

"I thought you liked it, you said it was funny!"

"Well, it's not…I'll be late for bio" he said, leaving her behind and walking toward his next class. Haley noticed him walking behind her. At that point, she didn't care. Brooke shot her a death glare. Not really understanding, Haley rolled her eyes and walked away to bio.

The class started filling up when Haley walked in, entraining the laughter of a few guys. She rolled her eyes and took a seat in the back, the most isolated one. There was always an empty desk next to her, reassuring her a little so she wouldn't have so jerk picking at her while she worked.

They laughed. She could her it now, the whispers and the whistling. She knew it was coming. The day they would stop would be worrying. They always talked. Even after years, they still had something to say.

Haley would usually wear some long-sleeved shirts and pants. The only part she was forced to show was her hands and her face, slightly injured compared to the rest of her body. The bell rang again and the teacher placed himself in front of the class, motioning for the students to stop talking. Slowly, the whispers stopped and it was finally quiet.

"Hello everyone, good afternoon", the teacher greeted. A groan indicated the student's response.

"Nice too see you're good too. So, special planning for today! Take out your book and open it, page 246 "

We could hear the sounds of the pages turning. When all the noise stopped, the teacher smiled and took a quick look at his book.

"You'll all make teams of too and complete the six pages about animal mitosis"

The complains of students came into the front which almost made the teacher smile. He didn't feel like giving a course today.

"Guess who's going to be alone!", someone shouted. It was Tim, one of Lucas' team mates in the basketball team. Brooke was the first one to laugh. Her best friend, Peyton let out a small chuckle and Lucas sent a death glare to Tim.

The students made pairings and started working. Haley was already nose in her book, working hard. She was a great student, always in class, well made homeworks and projects. She could really be what was called a nerd. A knock on the door made a few people look up from their sheet then turn their eyes back down when they saw Principal Turner in the doorway. Brooke looked at the Principal, getting the teacher out of the class for a second. When he came back, his expression had changed, there was some news.

"Guys, I need your attention for a sec, Principal Turner just announced me that we had a new student in our class. He just came all the way from South Carolina…Mr Turner?"

The Principal entered the room with a large smile followed by a shy, tall brunette guy. From where Haley sat, the guy looked really hot. She was sure he was even better in a close view. She couldn't say anything though. She would just be laughed at.

"Everyone, this is your new class mate, Nathan Scott"

"Hi Nathan, I'm Brooke", screamed the blushing girl, waving her hand just to be noticed.

Nathan just showed his palm for a 'Hi' and looked at the class. There was only on seat left next to a girl with brown hairs. She looked deep in her work and not really taking care of what happened in the front.

"You can take the empty seat Nathan, we're working in pairs in our book. I guess you can follow with Haley until we get you a book", the teacher said. Nathan quickly nodded and made his way to the empty desk in the back of the class. He heard the laughs of the others followed by some _poor him_! And some _with her_?!

_Haley huh, so that's your name?!, _Nathan thought as he walked to the desk and sat beside her. All the other seemed to have got back to work. She didn't even look up for him.

"Uh, hi I'm Nathan…" he tried, stretching his arm.

"I'm Haley…", she didn't even look up.

"We're partners..."

"So?"

"Well, you were working alone"

"I work better like this anyway" she snapped never looking at him.

"Ok, I guess I'll stare at my thumbs for the rest of the class", he smiled but she never saw it.

She was deep in her work. Maybe there was something else though. It all came clear to her but she couldn't admit it. Maybe she was scared of making friends because they would all leave. They always leaved. She had watched Lucas go, she wasn't going to do it again. That pain was the worse one, the one she never wanted to feel again. The loss of someone was the most hurting thing. When you loved and trusted someone and realized one day there is no reciprocity anymore. It hurt and broke her once, she wasn't doing this anymore.

This was bugging her though. Why was she so cold with the new guy, Nathan? He was trying to be sweet. _Pity…_this was all about pity, she was sure.

"What do you want exactly" she snapped, finally turning to him. He saw her face, the scars on it and the pain in her eyes. She really looked beautiful. She was probably the first person he met that didn't care only about her hairs and her makeup. This girl was real.

"Hum…work I guess…"

"So this isn't about me?"

"I don't…"

"I'm scaring you aren't I? You hate what you see. Well, I'll give you a trick, go be with the people like you and don't bother…about me I mean"

"People like me?"

"The jocks, the popular…you belong there. I don't…"

Brooke turned back a Nathan for what seemed like the hundredth time. She enjoyed what she was seeing and she would definitely try to get him. Brooke Davis always had what she wanted and this wasn't over now. She would always get what she wants. Peyton shoved her, getting back, down on earth.

"Earth to Brooke, I'm tired of working all alone. Would who mind doing something?"

"Sorry Sawyer…he's cute uh..", she winked.

"Who?" inquired Peyton.

"The new guy…Nathan. He's hot!"

"What does Brooke Davis talks about in bio?" Lucas asked with a grin.

"Guys of course…and party!", she chuckled. Lucas laughed at her innocence. She was so…Brooke Davis. People thought of her like a slut because of the way she acted but deep inside, she was a good girl even if she was bitchy in times.

"He's got your name uh" said Peyton.

"Yeah…Scott…it's weird", Lucas said

The two girls and the boy nodded and looked toward Nathan who was now talking with Haley.

"Don't tell me he really has interest for that monster?!", Brooke covered her mouth with her hand, laughing underneath her breath.

Nathan had tried talking to Haley but she wasn't really paying attention to him.

"I'm not scared ok, there's nothing wrong with you!"

"Nothing wrong?! Go tell that to the bitch right there who won't stop calling me _freak_!" Haley spat. Nathan turned to see Brooke, laughing with Tim.

"Brooke?"

"Everyone!! They're all staring like if I was a zoo attraction!"

"She looked nice…"

"Brooke Davis is anything but nice!"

Nathan frowned and looked at Haley. He suddenly broke into a nervous laugh. Haley stared at him in the eyes in total disbelief then she started laughing too. They both laughed until they heard the teacher again.

"Class is over guys, get your books. Nathan and Haley, I want to see you two"

Everyone left except Nathan and Haley. Nathan didn't really have any stuff to gather so he watched Haley pile her books. They walked together to the teacher's desk and waited for everyone to get out.

"Bye, freak!" Tim shouted.

"Hey Bambi, you call her that again and I'll make sure you don't call again" Nathan gritted his teeth and clenched his fists in ball. Haley blushed.

"Ok dude, sorry…"

"I don't care…tell her, not me!" he shouted. Tim made a grimace and threw a small, shy _sorry_ at Haley before he left, almost in a run. Nathan turned back to Haley who had suddenly found her shoes really interesting.

"Thanks…" she murmured

"Na, that's cool. I wasn't going to let him talk to you like that…"

The teacher came back in the class and smiled at the both of them as he closed the door and put something in his desk.

"So you two probably wonder what I want uh…well, as it seems like the two of you connected today, I ask you, Haley, to help Nathan out with his integration in the school. You can show him off…town, school, you can show him some places. I don't you where you, teens go anymore but I'm sure you can help"

"Hum…yeah sure, I'll do it"

"Thanks", the man smiled. "You two are already introduced so go on with your stuff!"

Both nodded and walked out the class. On their way to the lockers, Haley explained a few things to Nathan: where their next class was, where the lockers were, the cafeteria, the library, the gym and every little things he could need. She finally stopped at her locker and grabbed her books while he stood beside her.

"I had a great time", Nathan blushed slightly causing Haley to smile.

"Yeah, me too"

"Maybe I can take you out tonight…you could show me off and I could thank you for your help" he proposed. Haley hesitated.

"Hum…I don't know. There's my mom and, and work and huh…I don't know"

"Please. I'm begging you!". He really looked convinced. Haley smiled.

"Fine, we'll leave after school and I'll show you around"

They both smiled and walked for their next class.

XxXxXxXxX

Nathan got out of his first classes and walked outside to wait for Haley. She, on her side, went to her locker to grab her pack, her books and get back home.

Nathan waited, he looked almost lost. He just stood there and watched around himself. Brooke saw him from afar and smiled at her friends.

"Check this out!", she grinned and ran to Nathan.

"Hey handsome, you lost? I could show you around my bedroom!" she grinned naughtily.

"No thanks uh Brooke. I have plans for tonight"

"With Chewbacca?"

"Haley!"

"I know her name's Haley…"

"Shut up, Brooke" he said as he walked to Haley who stood behind Brooke and took her hand.

"Well, let's go!" Haley exclaimed and they left Brooke, her mouth wide opened in shock. _It's not going to stay like that! Nobody says no to Brooke Davis_, she thought. _I'm not going to let this happen_.

XxXxXxXxX

They had stopped at a restaurant Haley specially liked. She had sowed him a few places she liked going and hadn't stop asking him about why he came to Tree Hill and what his family looked like.

In a night, she had learned that his dad was named Dan and that he was a really rich man, his mom, Deb was owning a company and his dad owned a dealership. They had laughed at some jokes Nathan made or some stories he told about his life.

"Why did you move here?" she asked.

"Well, my mom bought an old club and she planed on restoring it so…we all moved"

"You happy?"

"Well, I am now that I know what's in this town", Haley blushed.

"So what do you order?" Nathan asked.

"I don't know, I was thinking about mac and cheese"

"Woah! The smart girl, fan of mac and cheese!"

"What's wrong with that?" she laughed.

"Well, nothing"

She was gonna say something but the waiter came right next to the table with his pad, ready to take the orders.

"What can I get you kids?"

"Two mac and cheese" Nathan announced proudly.

Haley smiled as Nathan handed the menu back and stared at her. They had really connected that day.

"So what about you? How's your family?"

Haley started stuttered on the same note. She was definitely ashamed and taken aback by the question. Her eyes filled with hurt and pain and her face took a bad shade of red. Nathan noticed her discomfort and quickly apologized.

"Look, I'm sorry. Whatever I said, I didn't want to hurt you"

"It's okay. You couldn't have known…let it go, ok", she assured. Nathan felt really bad for asking. What was so wrong with Haley to freak out like that?_ Does it have something to have with her scars_, he thought to himself. _I'll let her come to me though, tell me by herself. I want her to trust me, _he thought.

They ate in silence for the rest of the supper until Nathan broke the silence.

"Look, I didn't want to make it awkward between us…Any stories to tell me?", he asked. She smiled, making him smile.

"Hum…my life kinda ended when uh my dad died…"

"Sorry. I'm really sorry"

"It's ok…I was twelve anyway"

"Life sucks don't you think?"

"I agree on that point…"

On that, they finished their plate and laughed all along. At the end, Nathan paid the note and they left, hands in hands.

Trying to finish the night in beauty, Haley brought Nathan to the port and they walked near the water in the cold night. Haley started shivering.

"You cold?"

"Yeah" she replied.

Nathan nodded and took his vest off, leaving him only in his t-shirt. He put the vest over Haley's shoulders.

"Thanks", she smiled.

"You…"

"Well, well, if this isn't the cute little couple! The freak and the geek…sounds good to me", Brooke announced walking up to them with a crowd of girls Haley recognized as the cheerleader team. There was Theresa, Bevin, Kenzie and a few other girls Haley didn't really know.

"Brooke, what are you doing here?" Nathan asked.

"Ohh! Geeky defends the Leyley monster! That's so adorable!", she exclaimed, clapping her hands. The girls laughed and surrounded Nathan and Haley.

"Brooke, what don't you go screw one of the basketball players?", Haley sighed.

"Right, no I had enough of Lucas tonight", Brooke knew it would hit a nerve in Haley.

"What do you want?"

"I just want to make myself clear…to Nathan. You don't know who you're hanging out with"

"Well, neither do you" Nathan spat.

"Sweet…! So, did you know she killed her dad? Right, you didn't because she didn't tell you! That's the truth though…she put the fire in her house and it killed her daddy…no wonder why she's all burned. Karma's a bitch!" Brooke spat. Haley's eyes were full of tears and her blood rushed in her ears. Nathan looked shocked and the girls were all laughing.

"Ugly leyley killed her dad, right leyley. Don't go near Nathan or you're going to kill him too. Nathan I think you should runaway. It's not too late"

"It was an accident" Haley cried.

"Yeah, go tell that to your dad, or maybe your mommy…O right, she hates you know doesn't she?!"

Haley had enough she turned on her heels and started running in the night. Nathan wanted to go after her but his legs just wouldn't move. It was like his head and his heart weren't connected anymore. His heart wanted to go but his head kept him in the same place where he'd been witnessing everything.

"How could you be so horrible, Brooke?"

"I'm not! I'm saving your life!"

"Don't come near me or Haley again…EVER!" he snapped before turning the way Haley came. He ran until he realized he had no idea where he was going.

Haley ran through the night, her face wet from tears. She ran and ran until she couldn't feel anything anymore. She didn't want to see Nathan ever again. He was just going to look at her like all the others now. Brooke had ruined everything…again. She had also taken Lucas away from her. Why was life such a bitch to her?

Her small house came in view. The lights were on which meant her mom was there. Lydia, her mom was really the last person she wanted to see right now and she knew their presence together would just hurt her more. She stopped running when she came down her driveway and looked at the house that she thought could fit the living room of Nathan's house. She hadn't seen it but from the jobs his parents had, it must be big.

She looked at her small house and decided to finally go in. On the porch, she hesitated than put the key in the hole and turned the doorknob. She walked in as silently as possible when her mom came in view, completely drunk with a vodka bottle in her hand. She almost felt frontward when she took a step forward.

That was Haley's life. Her body was burned, her dad was dead, she had no friends, Nathan would hate her and her mom was drunken twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week…Her life was hell.

XxXxXxXxX

_Well I hope this made you want to know what happens next, lots of drama, romance and more and more stuff to come. Lucas discovering Nathan is his brother, Haley's past, Naley drama and romance and full of other stuff so stay tuned._

_Don't forget to review! The more I get, the faster I update of course. Tell me what you thought please. Constructive comments of course. Thanks. _


	2. II

**A/N : Oh my god, thank you guys so much for the amazing reviews! I'm really glad you guys like it cause Naley is so not my writing…they're my favorite though! Might Naley be always and forever….I also wanted to say I will take any suggestions in consideration if you guys have some. Here's the update…sorry for the wait**

**XxXxXxXxXx**

Lucas got back home after a long day. He had constantly fought with Brooke because she was bitchy as usual. He was exhausted and still startled by Nathan's new arrival. It bugged him because he had they the same name. Normally, he wouldn't really pay attention to it but something about this guy reminded him of a picture he had seen a very, very long time ago. The thing he didn't know was where he had seen this picture.

He dropped his bag on the floor and brushed a heavy hand trough his messy blonde hairs. His throat was sore so he decided he'd pick some water from the fridge.

The blonde kid walked in the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of water. Karen heard the noise and joined him in the kitchen.

"Hey Luke, how was your day?"

"Bad…as usual…", he groaned in the typical teenager way.

"What happened today?" she asked in a teasing tone motioning him to sit down. She sat across him and watched in drink the cool liquid.

"Uh…there's just this new guy in class and…I don't know…". He shrugged and looked down at the table. Karen kept staring at him until she got the information she wanted but Lucas didn't really seem to be in the mood to talk.

"His name's Nathan Scott…", Lucas trailed off. Karen sighed and looked down.

"He's your brother", she said in an almost inaudible voice.

"He what ?!?"

"Half brother actually…when I got pregnant, your dad left me all alone to go to college where he met another girl. Three months later, she was pregnant"

"So that Nathan guy is my brother!?"

"You two have the same dad, Dan Scott and I thought he was living in South Carolina…"

"They moved here", Lucas announced.

XxXxXxXxXx

After a long and hard search, Nathan finally found his way back home. For a first night in Tree Hill, it had turned to disaster in the blink of an eye. He stared at his new house, lingering on the window to his new bedroom. Dan got out on the porch and tore him from his reverie.

"It was about time you get home!" he shouted.

Nathan shrugged and walked over to where his dad stood.

"I just uh met a few people…"

"Wow son, you already have friends!"

"And enemies…."he whispered.

Nathan sighed and walked passed his dad inside the house. There were still a few piles of cardboard boxes gathered around the large living room. Deb, Nathan's mom came to him from hearing him talk.

"Hey sweetie, you're a bit late for dinner" she said.

"I already ate…", Nathan dropped his shoulders sadly and put his hand on the stairs.

"I'm going for a shower then I'll go to bed"

"This early?" Deb asked.

"I'm exhausted" Nathan replied. She nodded slightly as he got up the stairs. He found his new bedroom filled. Dan had gotten a few people to take care of it. The drawers and the closet were full. Even the bathroom linked to Nathan's room was already filled in. There were towels, soap, shampoo and a lot of other bath necessities.

XxXxXxXxXx

Haley slammed the door of her bedroom shut and let herself slide against it. She brought her knees to her chin and cried all the tears of her body. She could've used a friend in that very moment but the only person she could talk to was already passed out on the couch with the highest alcoholmeter in her blood.

The brunette girl cried and cried until she felt completely sore and exhausted. She glanced over the table clock and saw a picture of herself and her dad, taken when she was twelve. She looked so happy and pretty by that time. It was all over now, though. She wasn't happy anymore. She could've find some happiness with Nathan but it was all ruined now.

Her eyes filled with water again and her gaze wet down her top drawer. She rolled her eyes and picked herself up. There were some matches waiting all for her. She opened the drawer, picked up one cigarette and lit it, her endorphin slowly rising back up. She stubbed the smoke on the corner of her window and stared out the black night until she fell asleep, her head resting on the window. A large mist spot formed around her warm skin.

XxXxXxXxXx

How does Brooke Davis always arrive at school in the morning? Cheery of course because again, she's wearing clothes from the most expensive stores in town. She saw her brooding Lucas at a picnic table and sat next to him, her smile shinning at 200 watts.

"Hi Broody, what's up?"

"Nathan's my brother"

"Who?" she asked, not really paying attention at Lucas while she waved to the girls from the cheerleading squad.

"Nathan…"

"The new geek?"

"I thought you found him hot!"

"People change don't they so uh, he's your brother!?!"

"Yup"

"Wow, that makes him even better now…how's this possible?"

"Actually, he's my half-brother"

Brooke looked behind herself and spotted Nathan in the crowd. He seemed a bit less lost than the day before. The only different thing is that Haley wasn't hanging from his arm. Talking about Haley, she hadn't seen her in the whole morning. Nerd like her wouldn't skip school, would she?

Lucas looked as lost in thoughts as Brooke that's why they didn't see Rachel coming.

"Hey guys, what are you lingering on?"

"Nothing. What's up" Brooke asked.

"I'm throwing a party. Tonight. Bring your friends! It'll be awesome!" she replied.

"Yeah, of course it'll be if you invite me!" Brooke grinned making Lucas roll his eyes.

"What, are you not into my beauty charm?" she asked.

Lucas didn't answer that. Rachel nodded and announced that she would leave them two alone while she would find some new guests to her party. She spotted Nathan and her stomach flipped. She felt the good feeling of seeing someone really hot and smiled.

"I've never seen your perfect ass around, before. You're the new student?" Rachel asked with a large grin.

"Yeah" Nathan said, searching the crowd for signs of Haley.

"I can show you around"

"Already done…", his voice showed no emotions towards the hot redheaded girl in front of him.

"Ok…can I invite you to my party tonight? You'll meet everyone…I can introduce you know" she said not tearing her eyes of him for a second.

"Uh…party? Sure. I'll come. Can I bring some friends?", he thought about Haley when he said that.

"Of course, that's the purpose! Bring the more you can", she smiled and then climbed on her toes to whisper in his ear.

"Just know I'm into you…". He shivered as she pulled away, a large smile on her face. She waved him good-bye and walked away. _Touché_, she thought.

At noon, Nathan finally spotted Haley. She was sitting alone on a bench, full concentration in a book. He smiled and walked over to where she was.

"What are you reading?"

"What are you doing?" Haley spat.

"Uh, I'm asking you a simple question" Nathan shrugged.

"Ok then. Bye" she stood and hung her bad across her shoulders.

"Wait, where are you going?"

"What do you want, Nathan?"

"Be your friend" he said. He didn't really know from where this came up but he knew it was the truth.

"I'm sorry, that's not enough" she spat, leaving him there, stunned.

If he wanted to invite her to the party that wasn't starting really well. How could he get to her now? She would never want to talk to him again after what happened the last night but deep down, he really needed to talk to her. Something about this girl really made him feel whole. He had to think about a way to get to her and the only thing he found was writing to her.

The brunette teenager sat at one of the tables and picked out a sheet of paper and a pencil. He quickly wrote an excuse and folded the paper. He reached for her locker and slid the note in the locker.

XxXxXxXxXx

At the end of the day, Haley sighed in desperation because she had to go to her locker and really didn't feel up to it. She was fighting the pros and the cons of getting to her stuck when she looked up and realized she was right next to it. Another sigh then she unlocked it.

A small folded piece of paper fell in front of her feet. She bent and picked it up. It was a note someone wrote to her. Who would actually be writing to her?

_Dear Haley,_

_I don't know what I've done wrong for you to cut me out but I'm sorry. I had to say it. I really enjoyed the day we spent together and I felt horrible for the way it ended. Don't listen to what Brooke said. She's just a rich brat and you're way too smart for it to get to you. Look, I'd understand if you don't want to see me anymore but there's a party tonight at Rachel's and I'm going to go…if you decide you give me a chance then I guess I'll meet you there._

_Take care of yourself._

_Nathan_

She folded the paper back and wiped her eyes. She had only one thing to say to this. _I'm not going. I can't._

XxXxXxXxXx

The music blasted in the house and the party was doing really great so far. A few teenagers were already drunk while some were doing drinking contest and drugs. Brooke seemed to be the center of attention. All the guys were around her and the girls giggled with her.

Nathan finally found Rachel's house after hours of search. It seemed to be going on inside and he could say so when he opened the door to the house and saw all the dancing teenagers on the songs. Nobody noticed him but he figured it was normal since he had just moved in town. The first familiar face he saw was Brooke. She was sitting at a table with the guys from the basketball team and the girls from the cheerleading squad.

"Hey Nathan, come here!" she shouted when she spotted him.

Hey made a half smile and combed the crowd to get to her.

"What are we playing here?" he asked.

"I've never…wanna play?" Brooke asked, giggling as she was already half drunk.

"Uh…alright" he said as he sat down in front of Brooke. Time handed him a plastic glass.

Nathan took a sip at the vodka cocktail and winced, ready to play.

"I'll go first" Brooke said. "I've never…uh…had a fuck friend", she laughed. Tim drank playfully making the boys giggle and the girls say 'eww'.

"What, it's fun!" Tim explained. "Alright, I've never…flirted with a girl who killed her dad" Tim laughed. Brooke exploded in laughter along with a few girls that were there the last night when they circled Nathan and Haley.

Nathan shot him a death glare that sent shivers down Tim's spine. He didn't drink though, just kept looking at Tim like he was going to rip his head off at any second.

"Your turn, Nate" Brooke said, wiping the tears that had slipped from her eyes when she laughed.

"I've never dared saying something stupid when I knew I'd get my ass kicked" he spat at Tim. The girls made some "oooo" and Nathan kept his death glare on Tim who swallowed. Nathan stood and left with his drink.

He stared everywhere, searching the room for Haley but didn't see her anywhere.

XxXxXxXxXx

Haley was sitting on the couch of her living room, lost in a book. Her mom was a bit less drunk than she had been last night and held the doorway for support.

"Don't you have friends?" her mom asked.

"No I don't" she spat.

"T's what I thought since you're alone every night"

"What a deep conversation mom. This is the more we spoke for a long time!" she snapped. Her mom frowned.

"If you weren't such a brat, maybe we'd talk"

"About what mom? The fact that you still think everything was my fault?" Haley said, shifting between anger and sadness.

"It should have been you…", her mom said motionless.

Haley felt the tears sting in the back of her eyes. She slammed her book shut and left the house without even a look toward her mother. She waited to be far from home until she finally let the tears loose. They stained her face, half of it changed forever. Starting from the middle cheek to above the eyebrow, the soft skin was stretched and scared from a too heavy past.

She thought about it and Nathan's eyes flashed in her mind. Maybe she'd find a little comfort in this party after all.

XxXxXxXxXx

Nathan was sitting in the stairs, a little bored from not knowing anyone. Rachel came sitting next to her.

"Hey. You bored?"

"Kinda…" Nathan admitted.

"Me too…" Rachel sighed. "Won't you come with me?" Rachel added.

"Where?", Nathan frowned.

"I got something for you" she simply said.

Nathan, having nothing better to do, simply agreed and followed Rachel upstairs to her room. She closed the door behind them and waved to the bed, motioning for him to sit there. He did and watched her open her mini fridge and take a few different bottles out.

"I'll make you my special drink" she announced. Nathan simply nodded and stared all around the room. It was big and nicely decorated.

While he looked around, Rachel took out a really small tissue bag and pulled a pill out. She put it in one of the glass and filled them with her 'specialty'. She handed a drink to Nathan and put hers in evidence. Nathan lifted his as well.

"Cheers!" they both said as Nathan took one and only swallow of the drink. He winced and let the liquid sink in. Rachel waited and waited for her cocktail to make effect. Nathan seemed to zone out for a second then he was up for partying.

--

Haley didn't have any trouble finding Rachel's house. The lights were all on and she could hear _Swing, swing_ from inside the house. She opened the door and watched all around as the night was only starting. Three on four kids was drunk or really high and she felt like interrupting a party. That's how she felt in a place like this, that she didn't belong. She turned her head and then, it hit. The stab of hurt she felt when she saw him.

Nathan was up on a table, Brooke rubbing her ass on one of his side, Rachel on the other side, dancing really close to him. Nathan wasn't just drunk, he was high. She turned to leave but was stopped by something, someone. It was Tim, grinning naughtily and blocking her way. He waved to one of his friend who turned the music down.

"Everybody, look who's here!!" he shouted. Haley tried to move but they were all blocking her.

"Who invited her?" Bevin yelled. Everyone was laughing and Haley could feel the panic rising. Brooke let Nathan behind and walked toward Haley.

"Didn't you have enough yesterday? You want more?" she asked with a mean look.

"No, I…I don't know why I came…I'm just going to go" she said and looked down.

"Right, you don't know why you came. Maybe you wanted to burn us all. Killing your daddy wasn't enough for you". Everyone started laughing, even Nathan. He didn't have any control anymore so her rose his hands around his mouth to make like a microphone and yelled a big "wooo" the stronger he could. It was quickly covered by the laughs.

"See, even him don't want you. Why don't you go back in your little whole and play with your matches…" Brooke snapped in Haley's face. The poor girl swallowed when they heard another voice but not yelling for Haley now.

"Brooke, leave her the hell alone" Lucas spat, walking toward the brunette teenager. Nathan posted himself in front of Lucas.

"Don't you move further man" he said, his voice shaking from all the alcohol.

"You stay out of this" he said to Nathan.

"Why would I listen to you?"

"Because I'm your brother and I say so…Brooke, leave Haley the hell alone! What took you guys! Bunch of assholes" he murmured under his breath.

Tim came in, breaking the serious again. "Hey man, you shut the hell up!" he shouted at Lucas. Nathan pushed Lucas aside and punched Tim in the jaw.

"Shut the fuck up, Tim. You ever talk to Haley again, I'm going to make some chili with your head, got it!" he yelled, eyeing Lucas from the corner of his eye. Everything stayed silent until one of the guys from the basketball team jumped on Nathan from punching Tim. Lucas threw himself in the fight and Haley left when nobody was paying attention anymore, busy on the teammates fighting.

XxXxXxXxXx

Nathan opened his eyes and felt totally sore. He was in the grass in front of his house and he didn't even know how he ended up there. The last night was a total blur in his head but it was pounding hard. He had a strong headache and felt hung over. His eye was purple as a dark bruise was forming from the fight he had the night before. His lip was scratched and pretty much all parts of his body ached.

With a lot a difficulty, he managed to put himself up only to find Haley standing at the end of the driveway. She stared at him sadly. He walked up to her and looked her in the eyes.

"Hi" he said surprised.

"Hey…"

"About last night…"

"You were into the party…don't worry" she cut him off.

"I'm sorry about what they said" he admitted.

"Look, I can't do this. I never needed anyone and that's not going to change"

"We can be friends!"

"I'm sorry…" she whispered as she walked away from him.

--

**Ok that's enough for now. I'm going to sleep on my keyboard and the OC is playing in French so I gotta go ;)**

**Drop some nice reviews, they always make me happy.**

**Thanks.**


	3. III

_**Hi everyone, I am so sorry I didn't update sooner! I really am! I was just so busy with school and all that crap. A have a light week though so I decided I'd take my free time to write. Thank you guys so much for the amazing reviews! A few details for those of you who wonder, Haley's scars on her face are not this bad. It's just the corner around her eye, like from her cheek to the forehead. Her body is more burned though. Anyways, enjoy this chapter!**_

_**­**_--

For the next week, Haley didn't even look up at Nathan. They didn't talk and all the time he had tried to get close to her, she would find anything to avoid him. The thought of never talking to her again was really saddening him but if it was what she wanted then he'd let it be.

The party he had gone to had totally changed the way people were looking at him. Some accepted him more, the girls in particular, but the basketball team sure as hell didn't want him around. He didn't remember much from it though. It was sometimes coming back to him in fragments but other than that, the few last hours were a total blur. He only knew the things they had told him…

There was a fight. He knew that at the second he looked at himself in the mirror and saw the big large bruise forming around his eye. Not only Haley avoided him this week, but also Lucas and Brooke. He didn't really know them, of course but they were not even looking at him when he was talking.

Now, it was P.E. class and the class was gathering around the bleachers in the gym, waiting for coach Durham to come give his course. Nathan wasn't really sitting with anyone. He was just alone, staring at the costume the school had to wear for every single sport. He was thinking about maybe joining a club or something. This way, he'd meet people and his new coming in school wouldn't be too unnoticed and boring.

The coach walked into the gym and blew in his whistle to get the attention.

"Hi students, today you're gonna have fun with me! Lucas! Tim! You two come here!" yelled Whitey.

Unknowingly, Lucas and Tim walked over to him. He motioned to them to get in separate sides of him and then smiled at the rest of the group.

"We wouldn't want our two best players to be in the same team, would we? Today we're playing basketball! It's a gift to you guys in the team for the last season. You guys need to extra-work! Guys, pick your teammates"

"Jake", Lucas pointed his friend.

"Skills" Tim shouted.

They made there team this way until there was only Nathan, Haley, Glenda and Mouth on the bench. The coach got impatient.

"Alright, Haley and the new guy go with Lucas. Glenda and Marvin, go with Tim! Now everyone run for the next 10 minutes then you'll practice your free throws in team. Go!", Whitey shouted and watched as the bunch of students started running around the gym.

Brooke caught up with Lucas. "We've got your brother and his freak in our team!" she said in between breaths.

"You're gonna have to deal, daisy!" he said as he took a sprint and passed her.

"Lucas!" she yelled then rolled her eyes. Going faster and after him wouldn't worth it. It would just make her more tired and Lucas wasn't worth that, especially after calling her a little princess.

The class ended running and placed themselves in teams in front of the too basket. Nathan said 'hi' to Haley who didn't even bother looking up at him.

"So you're gonna be mad at me forever?" he snapped.

"I'm not mad at you. I just don't wanna be friends with you!" she replied.

He looked hurt, "Why, what did I even do to you?" he asked.

"Nothing. It's not you, it's me. I can't…" she breathed.

"I wanna try. I wanna prove you that I'm good enough. I enjoy being with you!" he explained.

"Nathan, I don't wanna talk with you!" she said, really sorry.

"We're in the same team for today. You'll have to deal with it!" he snapped before he ran to Lucas. A memory came rushing through his mind.

"_Why would I listen to you?"_

"_Because I'm your brother and I say so…"_

Lucas. Lucas said that they were brothers. Maybe this was why he had been ignoring him all the week. Maybe he thought Nathan remembered but he just didn't care. Lucas elbowed him.

"Earth to Nathan, it's your turn to shoot! What, you look like you just got your memory back!" Lucas chuckled.

"Yeah. I just remembered you told me we were brothers!" Nathan answered. Lucas' smile grew into more of a grimace.

"It's your turn.." he simply said.

"Is it true?" Nathan didn't even look at the basketball. He kept staring through Lucas' eyes.

"Nathan…"

"Is it?"

"Just asked your dad. I'm not talking about that here. Here, take that ball and shoot it through the net"

"I know how to play basketball!" Nathan snapped. He took the ball from Lucas' hands and made a perfect shot. Lucas was stunned. "Now, can we talk?" he asked.

Lucas shrugged and got Nathan over to the bleachers. He yelled to Jake to take up for him while he talked to his brother. They sat and Lucas sighed before turning to Nathan.

"Your dad and my mom were dating in high school. They went to prom at the end of senior year and were named king and queen. Right after that, my mom told your dad she was pregnant. He left for college and never took care of her. In college, he met your mom and she got pregnant with you…" explained Lucas.

"Wow…so that means were like, half-brothers…" Nathan didn't really know what to believe anymore.

"I guess…I never knew you so I never considered it"

"You mean you never considered me" Nathan corrected.

"Somehow…I guess…fate wanted us to meet"

"The world his so small! I came here thinking I wouldn't know anyone and here it is, I have a brother here!", Nathan let out a nervous laugh.

"Yeah, life is weird sometimes!"

They laughed and shook hands.

"So I'm Nathan Scott!"

"I'm Lucas Scott, hi!"

Brooke watched them from afar until she decided she had the right to know what was going on and why Lucas was laughing with the 'new guy'.

"Hey Luke, what's going on here?" she asked eyeing Nathan.

"Brooke, what do you want?"

"Excuse me, I just thought since you called me a little princess that I could know what is wrong with you!" she said in her fancy bitchy tone.

Lucas sighed "Brooke, I introduce you to my brother Nathan" he said.

Brooke's mouth fell wide opened. "Your what?!" she exclaimed.

"Brother" Nathan repeated. "Hi, Brooke. Nice to meet you too!"

They shook hands.

"How is this possible? A week ago you loved the monster and now you tell us your Lucas' brother!" she snapped.

"Brooke, I promise that if you call Haley 'the monster' one more time, you won't have anything to take hours to brush!" Lucas snapped coldly.

Brooke stayed silent. She couldn't believe Lucas. Since Nathan had arrived in school, he had been protecting Haley and he was always against Brooke. He used to think it was funny. Now he's taking her side and he makes me look like a fool every time I say something bad, she thought.

"Fine. I'll stop saying things about her but you gotta do something for me in exchange…!"

"What do you want Brooke?" Nathan asked.

"A bet. A want a bet and if you do it, I promise you I'll never talk to Haley or you ever again" she announced proudly.

Nathan and Lucas exchanged a glare. They weren't sure if they could trust the girl.

"Speak" Nathan said.

"So you agree?"

"I'm all ears. I'll tell you after you tell me what the bet is"

"Here is not the better place to talk about it" she said.

"So were do you propose we go?"

"Lucas, weren't you throwing a party Friday night?"

Lucas realized she was talking to him. He nodded quickly. "Yeah…"

"Great then. Friday night at the party. Don't invite the little Haley" she said.

Nathan nodded and she smiled, throwing a little 'cool' to him before running up to Peyton and Rachel who were practicing the cheerleading routine.

--

Lucas was getting dressed for the party that was held up in his house. He had all his friends coming over and the night plans sounded nice. He only wished it wouldn't end up in a fight just like the last party. He walked in the kitchen to get a bottle of water. The door opened and the only thing Lucas saw was a grocery brown paper bag. Keith appeared behind it.

"Hey Luke. Mind give me a hand?"

"Sure. Take it easy! I got it" he said, lifting a few of the bags Keith had brought back.

"So, here's all you needed for the party. I bought a few beers but trust me, if you abuse, I'll tell your mom I didn't buy them! Speaking of her, she's gone to South Carolina for the week-end. Business meeting. She doesn't know about the party and never will"

"Thank you so much, Keith!"

"That's ok, kiddo. Just don't make a fool of yourself tonight because I might be the one laughing instead of saving your ass!"

"I don't think there's gonna be a fight"

"Funny. You said the same thing last week!", Keith gave Lucas a nod and they giggled.

"I'll try not to do anything stupid"

"See, there's a first time for everything!" Keith chuckled. Lucas made a hurt look then he laughed.

Everyone started coming over the house a little later that day. They were greeted by great music and a great ambiance. Peyton was the DJ and Brooke had come earlier to help clean up and make the place look good.

It seemed like every kid of Tree Hill heard about the party that night. The house was full and there was barely place to move. Peyton switched from _Good Charlotte _to _Weezer_. Everyone danced. Brooke wasn't just talking with a really hot guy she just met, she was also subtly searching the place for Nathan. He was supposed to come.

She then spotted him. He had just walked into the house and was searching a familiar face. Lucas was at the counter with Rachel, distributing some fresh cocktails. Brooke joined them and waved to Nathan to come over. He walked over them and smiled at Brooke.

"This seems a little like déjà vu!"

"Stop complaining and get your ass on that chair!", she grinned and Lucas handed him a glass.

"Hey man, you came!"

"I guess.." Nathan said pounding fists with Lucas. "So Brooke, wanna tell me what the bet is about?", he turned to Brooke.

She smiled. "Come with me guys" she said.

"'Guys' includes me, right!" Rachel said.

"Of course, silly!"

She led them to Karen's bedroom which was the most quiet and the isolated one. The brunette closed the door behind her and smiled. They all sat on the bed and waited for their leader girl to speak.

"Are you like, gonna kill us?" Rachel asked.

"I might have to…seriously, Nathan I have a bet I wanna make with you"

"Speak"

"You have two months and have to get into Fr…into Haley's pants"

"You kidding, right?"

"Nope. Two months and I you do, I'll you and Haley alone for good"

"I can't do that to her"

"What, you're too sissy!"

"No, I don't wanna hurt her!"

"How sweet. Then I guess it'll be me that will hurt her"

"I thought I told you to…"

"Shut up, Lucas!" she cut him off.

"Fine" Nathan said. "I'll do it…"

Brooke was getting really exited. "Nice!! So, the last thing, if you lose…you'll have to do the bet with me"

"You mean like…"

"Exactly!" she said.

Nathan swallowed. He knew this was the only way he could ever get Brooke to forget about being a bitch to Haley. He had to do it, at least for her.

"And if I lose and sleep with you, you're gonna leave her alone anyway?"

"Yeah…sure, I guess…"

Nathan nodded. "Fine then…". They shook hands and the deal was made.

--

**That's all for now! Don't forget to let a nice review and let me know what you guys thought. Again, thanks a lot for the amazing reviews and I'm really sorry for making you wait so long!**

**Thanks for reading**


	4. IV

_My god, I'm sorry for the delay. I really am. Thanks a lot to those of you who posted amazing reviews. You can't even imagine how good it feels for a writer (some of you can, of course). Enjoy this update!_

--

Nathan couldn't get his mind of for the next few days. Just thinking about the bet made him feel at the time sick and somewhat happy. He had to find a way to talk to Haley though. She was really mad with me for no reason. Brooke was the one she should be pissed at but he, as far as he knew, didn't do anything wrong except maybe for that party where Rachel drugged him but that wasn't is fault, right? He couldn't plan a thing like that. It just happened and now he had to live with the fact that it broke Haley's trust and now he had to gain it back. It was the hardest part of the job, getting Haley to talk to him.

First step, eye contact. He thought that if he could just get her to look at him in the eyes, maybe she would listen if he asked her to. This wasn't all just to get in her pants. He had no intentions in hurting her. Pressing it would just do nothing at all. He had two months… that would be enough to do things slowly. After all, he was quite hot and as soon as Haley would get to talking to him again, she would see that he a really nice person too. He really did care about her and that's why he wanted Brooke to leave her alone and himself to be with her and protect her no matter what. In 'girl' language, he had what was called a 'crush' since he saw her and knew no one ever made him feel the way she made him feel. Like he was really important to someone and he felt whole. With a family like his, it made him feel good to had someone to make him feel this way and he found that someone. That someone was luckily sitting in the way he was walking…

Haley was sitting at a table with a book. Her eyes were lost in a sea of words and emotions. Nathan admired her for a second before he took a step forward and rose his voice.

"Is this place empty?" he asked.

"See someone?"

"Nope"

Haley rolled her eyes and got back to her reading. Nathan shrugged and sat next to her.

"So you still mad at me?"

"I'm not mad at you but we're not friends"

"Are you sure about that?" he asked now catching her gaze in his.

Eye contact. It seemed to work because she seemed to chill down for a second.

"What do you want, Nathan?"

"I want you to give me a second chance and prove you I'm not an asshole"

"I never thought you were an asshole!"

"You did. I saw it in your eyes"

"I never thought that I was just disappointed"

"Because of me??"

"No…Nathan, it's complicated"

"And I have all my time to listen" he said. As soon as the words escaped his lips, he sat in a more comfortable position and intertwined his fingers to show he was listening. For a second, a quick grin drew on Haley's face but it was quickly gone away.

"Nathan, don't tell me you find something worth fighting in me!" she said, her eyes glistening.

"Actually, I do. You make me feel better and everytime I am with you, I'm a totally different person. I'm someone new"

"Really…I mean Nathan, look at me. I'm not the kind of person you want to be with"

"Actually, I do want to be with you. I look at you and I don't see anything unusual. Wait, do you mean something's wrong with me? Because you seem to be seeing something I don't and you're getting me worried…" he joked.

Haley let out a short laugh. First the first time in a while, they both smiled to each other. Both genuinely happy.

"So what did you want to talk about?" she asked in a new voice. Her happy voice. The one he discovered when she was talking to him the first night they spent together. They talked about everything then nothing until the bell rang and they had to both go to class, their eyes promising to see each other again, maybe very soon…

Nathan walked in the library with some books and personal work. He sat at a table were he recognized Brooke's best friend Peyton and Lucas. They were already seated and talking about a common project. Nathan made a head nod to know if he could sit and Lucas smiled at him. He pushed his books aside and Nathan took place next to him. Peyton smiled at him and he shyly smiled back. He didn't really know Peyton except for the few times he seen her on Brooke's heels.

"Hey, Luke!"

"Hey, Nate! What's up?"

"I got to talk to Haley this morning"

"Really, I thought she was mad at you" Lucas pointed out.

"Well if she was, she isn't anymore" Nathan replied.

"That's great man…you know, about the bet…" Lucas started.

This time, it was Peyton who spoke first "This is ridiculous! She is horrible for doing this and even if she's my best friend, I think this is stupid. Honestly, this is crap!"

"I know" was Nathan's answer. "But if I don't do it, she's going to keep picking at Haley for the rest of high school and I've seen what she can do. This is seriously cruel"

"We know…" Lucas simply said. "But this is Brooke Davis and no one can stop Brooke from doing what she is doing. You're lucky she proposed a way out of it" he added.

Silence came back between them. It was broke when coach Durham came barging into the room.

"Scott"

Lucas looked up from the table to see the big finger the coach was pointing toward him. He nodded to Peyton and Nathan and left the table for a minute. Nathan looked at Peyton and she smiled again, her smile a little weaker now.

"So you disagree?" he asked her.

"Yeah. Haley has never been one of my close friends but I honestly think Brooke is being cruel"

"Yeah…"

Lucas came back with a big smile, lighting his face. He sat between his two friends and Peyton couldn't help but stare.

"Did you win at lottery?" she asked cheerfully.

"Nope. Whitey just named me captain of the Ravens"

"Lucas that's amazing!" Peyton cheered.

"What's the Ravens?" Nathan asked.

"School's basketball team. You wanna join?" Lucas asked.

"What? No, no, no, no, no…I'm new here. It'll be hard enough to get into a new town. I'm not even good!"

"What, are you kidding me? You made that shot perfectly the other day. We need players. At least come to the tryouts and see. If you still don't wanna join, I won't force you but I think you should at least try. Guys from the team are nice and we could spend some more time together like we haven't done in the past years…"

Nathan didn't know whether or not he wanted to be in the team. He just shot an 'I'll think about it' and finally got to his homework. Lucas smiled and tapped him on the shoulder before getting back to his own work. Peyton watched the two new found brothers with a grin before she checked her papers as well.

The pause bell rang and as soon as it was done, Nathan was out of class to meet Haley on the quad. She was there, waiting for him with a big smile. They bought some sodas from the machine and walked together while talking about their latest classes. Haley explained how she impressed the English teacher with one of the most beautiful poem written by a student and how Brooke was jealous after she got a D for her own work. Nathan talked a little about his own class and how stupid he looked when he didn't know the answer to the question. Haley laughed at that. It made him feel a little better to think she wasn't placing herself above him. Something came back into his mind.

"Oh and did I tell you that Lucas wanted me to join the Ravens?"

"What?! Nathan that's great! You should"

"I didn't think I was gonna do it"

"Why?"

"It's complicated enough to be the new kid in town"

Haley offered her best comforting smile and said "Nathan, you were right. You're a really good guy. I was wrong about you and so are they. If you want to join that team, don't let anything stop you or you could regret your decisions later on. Do you feel like you want to play?"

He shrugged "I don't know. Maybe a part of you wants to make these tryouts"

"Then do it!"

"But another part of me his scared of maybe what my parents could think or what the others could think.."

"If your parents are the way you described them, they'll be happy for you. Who would not be? And don't let the fear of being let out keep you from playing the game you love. Do you love basketball?"

"Since I was a kid…"

"Then go. Go to the tryouts and go kick their ass!"

Nathan smiled. "Thanks Haley. See, I told you I needed you with me. I could've missed something good because of what I think about myself"

"Yeah, you underestimate yourself a bit too much"

"But you are helping me out"

"Yeah, I think there's a way I can do something with you", she gave him a playful nod and laughed. They spent the rest of the time kidding around like a young couple or simply two best friends. The bell rang again and they knew it was time that they break apart, promising the other to be there when solitude would come back.

The sun was still shining outside when the last obstacle that kept Nathan and Haley apart went loose. School was over. Students were walking everywhere. Some to their car, some toward the bus and others toward their parent's car. Nathan was the one who saw Haley first. He joined her and smiled.

"Hey, Hales!"

"Hey, beauty and the geek!"

"Uh?? Who's the beauty?"

"Not you!!" Haley giggled when she said that. She punched Nathan playfully on the shoulder and they laughed for some more.

"I gotta go to the tryouts tonight" Nathan announced.

"Well, good luck"

"Thanks. I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Sure"

They hugged before they both went into different directions. Nathan headed for the gym where some guys were already shaping up for the tryouts. There were only two places in the team and Nathan really hoped he would make it. He was knew and felt out of place when the other guys were throwing jokes around in the locker room. Nobody really paid attention to him until Tim walked in the room and announced everyone they could go in the gym. He spotted Nathan and his face change. You couldn't tell if it was from fear or anger but it was weird. Nathan's presence was definitely affecting him.

The players-to-be walked in the big gym where Lucas was setting up the last things before he gave his instructions and started the tryouts.

"Hey everyone thanks for coming. As you probably know, we have two places on the team and two of you here will fill them up. Today is simple, we'll do as a normal practice and those of you who will stand out will be the new players in the team. Let's start with a little warm up. You guys run 20 suicides. Go!"

Every guy posted themselves on the line and when Lucas gave the cue, they started running in the gym. Lucas and Tim spent the whole run time watching and taking mental notes on who could never do it. A freshman kid left the lines before the run was over. He barely made it far from it that he was already throwing up.

"Stress and sport uh…not a good mix" Lucas murmured through gritted teeth. Someone helped the kid out another called someone to clean the mess. After the suicides, the guys made a horizontal line in front of the bleachers and started doing push-ups.

The free throws came along and the game as well. Players were sweating. Some were still in really good shape, some were half dead and some left after not being able to stand the pressure. Nathan was still up for more after Lucas sent everyone to the showers.

Tim and Lucas reunited in the gym and discussed about the performance they seen.

"I liked West." Time said.

"No..he's mean. He wouldn't stop insulting the others"

"Yeah but he's a good player"

"Not good for team spirit. I say we take Jake and Nathan"

"Jake? He missed a couple of good shots"

"But he was quick and his defense his amazing"

"And Nathan?"

"He totally impressed me. He's never been in a team before!"

"And of course, he's your brother"

"I'm not choosing him because of that. You know it's because he was good"

Tim shrugged. He knew Nathan was good. He wasn't just good, he was excellent but the guy kinda scared him. He was used to big guys threatening him and he knew he could have Lucas to have his back with them though it would be different with Nathan because he was Lucas' brother and he really did scare him the other day. Their choice was made and he couldn't change it now. He would have to deal with Nathan because it was done. The new players would be Jake Jagielski and Nathan Scott.

Nathan came back home with his duffel bag over his shoulders. The big Scott mansion stood before him and for a second he thought it was pretty imposing. He shook his head and walked inside the house. His dad was sitting in the living room with a glass of whisky and a really old tape playing. He saw Nathan in the doorway and smiled, pointing the other couch so Nathan and he could talk.

"Hi Nathan, how was your day?"

"Really good"

"You like it here?"

"Yeah. I made new friends"

"How are things with Lucas? How is he?"

"He's really good. I'm glad we found each other I just don't understand why you never told me about him before"

"It's a long story"

"And I've got all my time"

Dan sighed and closed the TV before he drove his concentration back on Nathan. "Karen and I went to high school together. I was the captain of the basketball team, she was the head cheerleader…we had to somehow end up together. Above of all that, we loved each other, deeply. She was nice and always smiling and after prom, she told me she was pregnant. I was gonna tell her that I got a scholarship when she said it. Finally, I just told her I was leaving and we never saw each other again. Your uncle Keith stayed with her and in a way I think it's better this way. Lucas has a dad and he deserved better than me. I don't say that I don't love your mother because I really do. I met her in college and well, you know the rest…" Dan explained calmly.

"And you never thought of going to see Lucas or just asking from him?" Nathan spat, anger rising in his throat.

"I did. I asked her a million times and she would never tell me a thing"

"Who?"

"Karen, Lucas' mom"

Nathan nodded.

"Life would've been different if you never left Karen. Maybe you would've been happier"

"Nathan, you know that's not true. Yes, life would have been different but I don't regret having you. Not now and not any seconds in this life"

Nathan smiled. Before he could add anything more, his phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Nate. It's Lucas!"

"Hi Luke! What's up?"

"I just wanted to tell you this tonight. You're in the Ravens man"

"What?! Really!!"

"Yeah. Congrats, man. You deserve it. You were amazing!"

"Thank you so much"

"No problem. Come see me tomorrow, I'll give you the game schedule"

"Ok, thank you man. Bye!"

He hung up and he couldn't hide his excitation. A wide smile crept on his face.

"It was Lucas?" Dan asked.

"Yeah! I'm in the Ravens!"

"Really. That's amazing Nathan. Maybe you'll walk on my steps son"

"No way…I'm not abandoning Haley pregnant…"

"Who?"

"Nothing…just a girl I met"

"You already have a girlfriend?"

"No", Nathan smiled and added "but it's on the way"

--

**Ok so that's all for now. I hope you guys enjoyed. I didn't feel like making Dan a big asshole full of sh, so I made a happy and sweet Dan. I'm on fire now so I think I'll write another chapter to another story right after this. Don't forget to drop a nice review and expect some more Naley coming soon. Take care of yourselves guys!!**


	5. V

_Thanks for the reviews and sorry for the long wait. Enjoy this chapter!_

--

The English teacher walked around the class, between each row and each desk occupied by a working student to distribute the last exam's results. The students were asked to work on a text they had in their books but Nathan's mind was off.

There was three things burning in his mind and he couldn't think of anything else. First there was Haley. Since she had forgiven him a week ago, they were always together and kidding around. Second, there was basketball. His first game was at the end of the week and he was nervous since he was a new player. It was the first time he was playing in an official team. The third thing that bugged him was his exam. He had it in front of him and kept asking himself how he would show it to his parents.

He had never been really good in school. He could study for hours but in the end he would just end up failing again. He sighed heavily while watching his mark for what seemed to be the hundredth time.

Haley was sitting at a table in the tutoring center. A freshman was sitting next to her and she was desperately trying to teach him how to isolate the _x_ in algebra. The bell rang and she was now feeling so much better. She could finally stop rambling on, the kid would go to his next class, and she'd be free.

From all the students she was helping, that kid was the hardest one on her. He made her work like crazy and ramble on for hours until the kid finally caught a line of what she had been saying for hours. at the end of the course, she was exhausted or pissed.

A knock on the door made her jump. Nathan stood there with a desperate look in his eyes.

"Hey Nathan, you look as desperate as me! What's wrong?"

"What made you desperate?" he asked.

"Just a student…but what's wrong with you?"

He just showed her the test he got with a grimace.

"I suck at English…at everything for that matter"

She studied his grade without saying a word.

"…So that's when the teacher told me to get a tutor. I'm surprised to see you though" he finished.

"Yeah, well tutoring is like my second home" she confessed.

Nathan nodded. "In that case do you think you could help me?" he asked.

She looked around. "I don't know. Maybe it's not the best idea if it's me. I can get someone else to do" she proposed.

"Why. I want it to be you. I heard you're the best!"

"I just don't think I could help you"

"Why not?"

"It's complicated Nathan. You'd have to work really hard"

"And you don't think I could do it?"

"That's not it!"

Haley sighed. The truth is, she thought that if she got to see Nathan more often, she'd fall totally in love with him and that scared her more than anything.

"I'll tell you what. If I can show you that I do make efforts, will you help me?" he tried.

"Nathan…"

"Please. My next test is tomorrow. If I can get something over 75, you will help me"

Haley sighed. Nathan gave her a puppy dog look. "80"

"Deal." Nathan said.

Haley rolled her eyes and grabbed her books. "See you later then"

He watched her disappear from view before he got out of his sudden reverie. That was strange and he didn't why he pushed it so much but he had to do it. It was like something was pushing him harder and harder to get to Haley. He was barely thinking about the bet. Sure he didn't want to hurt Haley but he didn't want to end up with Brooke as well. That girl was so awful.

Speaking of the devil, Brooke joined Nathan.

"Hey you, I saw you with tutor girl. Are you too planning your honeymoon?"

"Brooke, for once could you just shut up?" he snapped before storming out of the room. She boiled in anger when she got out as well.

--

Nathan was sitting on his bed with piles of books and note sheets. He had to study really hard an exam he had the day after. Dan came into his room with a large plate.

"Hey son, I brought you something to eat"

"Thanks dad. I'm starving!"

"You must be. So what are you studying for?"

"A big exam I have tomorrow"

Dan nodded. "Since when do you study that hard?"

"Since I told a girl that I'd have 80 so she could help me with school"

The older Scott sounded curious. "Are we talking about the girl you met?"

"Yea. She tutors people who are failing like me and I have to prove her I want to improve if I want her help"

"She's a great girl" Dan said.

"She's amazing" Nathan replied.

The old man smiled. His son was a great kid. The kind of son every dad would love to have. This was a little different for his wife. That was just something else. Another part of his life.

"So mom is out of town?" Nathan asked, taking a huge bite of the sandwich his dad brought him.

"I'm afraid she is and will be for a little while" Dan said saddened.

"That sucks. Are you sure that she's leaving only for work?"

"With your mom, you never know"

Nathan gave his dad a sympathetic smile before diving back into his books.

"I'll let you to your study". With that, Dan left Nathan and his half-ate meal. The teen read every single page more than once, redone every exercises in his books, rewrote every little important thing, memorized every little detail and tested his memory on the things he learned. After a good night sleep, there was no way he couldn't ace that test. He was ready.

--

The next morning, he woke up early to make a big revision of the things he memorized the night before. He asked his dad to prepare questions for him and help him revise.

Dan was stunned. "You must really like that girl" he noticed.

"With her I feel special. She's not just another high school crush. She's real."

The old man smiled. "I'm proud of you, Nathan. If only your mom could see how old you grew"

Nathan smiled. He took a last swig of juice before grabbing his packs and leaving for school. He tried to find Haley before the exam but she was nowhere to be found. Maybe she was giving lessons.

Nathan pushed Haley out of his mind. He had to concentrate on the test then he could go back to Haley. The bell rang as Nathan's stress level reached an unbearable maximum. He had never felt this bad before and exam. Normally it was because he was never studying this hard for an exam.

He had some time left before the begging of the class so he spotted Lucas in the room and joined him. His brother was talking to one of the guys in the team. He didn't look happy at all.

"Hey, Luke!"

"Hey, Nate. Jake, would you excuse us a second"

The other guy nodded and walked away.

"Is he ok?"

"Just a little pissed" Lucas said. "So you're ready for the game in two days?"

"Yeah…just a little nervous"

"It's normal but don't be scared. You'll be just fine. If you play like you played in the tryouts, you'll be more than fine" Lucas reassured.

"Thanks man"

"No problem. Now good luck with this test"

"You too"

They gave each other a good-luck nod and walked back to their seats. The bell rang. Seconds later, the calm and silence was back in the room and everyone was sitting still, waiting for their exam.

The teacher grabbed a pile of sheets from his desk and distributed them. One after one, the students were writing down their name and reading the first couple of questions. Nathan was one of the last to get his sheet so he had plenty of time to watch the others.

His turn finally came. He wrote his name and the date. Then he started reading the first question. He could easily answer the first one. The second one was a little harder. He had to think twice to make sure the answer he was writing was the great one. Then came the third question and the fourth.

When he turned the last sheet and realized he was done, he felt so relieved and so sure at the same time. The test seemed so easy that there was no way he could have failed. He went back on the hardest questions before handing the paper to the teacher.

The man sent him a weird look when he was one of the first student to give his exam back even though he knew he kid for having low grades.

Nathan held his self-assurance look when he walked out of the room to go to his locker.

Sometime in the next day, Nathan walked into his class and found the seat where he had worked so hard on his exam the day before. He surprised anyone when he said that he thought the test was easy. Still there was a pretty good chance he passed.

The teacher started to make his long walk in the class to give the tests back. Row after row, he went on and on until he reached Nathan's desk.

When he passed him the sheet, he whispered something in his ear. Nathan kept repeating it in his head over and over: _I must say that I'm surprised there, M. Scott_.

Nathan ran to the tutoring office where he almost hit Haley.

"Hey Nathan. Are you okay?"

"You're my new tutor" he said showing her his exam.

Her mouth dropped open. "87! Nathan that's awesome!"

"I know! I knew I could do it"

"I knew you could…"

The silence fell back again. Haley had to accept it now. They made a deal she couldn't escape. She was officially his new tutor.

"So when do we start?" Nathan asked.

Haley waited a moment before she said softly "Tomorrow morning. Meet me at the Karen's café at lunch time. Bring your books, we're there to work"

Nathan nodded.

--

As said, during the lunch period, Nathan and Haley sat at a table in the little café Lucas' mom owned and they started working on the next assignment. Little did they know that this change in their lives could be the thing that would change everything, forever.

--

**Sorry it's extremely short but it's my second post of the day and I hurt myself pretty badly this weekend and I'm so not supposed to be sitting too long. I'll go lay down in a few I just wanted to continue my stories so everyone doesn't get so pissed at me for not updating in a lifetime. Drop a sweet review and I'll try updating as soon as I can.**


	6. VI

_A/N: I am so sorry for the long wait. Well, long is an understatement in this case. I hope this chapter can make it up to you guys, because it's the plan ;) enjoy!_

XxXxXxXxX

Nathan and Haley had pretty much spend all their time together in the past couple of weeks. She was helping him with school and integration and he was just enjoying every more minute he could spend with her. Of course, he wasn't forgetting about the bet. He still had a month to make a move. He just didn't want to force anything or to hurt Haley. He figured she had been through enough already.

It was lunchtime at _Tree Hill High_. Nathan was sitting at a table, slowly unpacking the meal his mom had prepared with so much love. It's not that he couldn't do it himself. He usually did but she insisted and he didn't really want to go against her. He took a quick glance behind him before digging his sandwich bag. If he had looked a little longer, he would've seen Brooke who took the occasion to sit right next to him.

Nathan almost jumped when someone sat next to him. Brooke passed her arm behind Nathan's back but the guy pulled away, not waiting the girl to get her way with him.

"Hi, Nate! Is this seat taken?" she grinned.

"Whatever I say, you're just gonna sit there anyway" he grunted. She rolled her eyes.

"So? What's happening with the tutor girl?"

"First, her name is Haley. Second, I'm not trying to hurt her if that's what you think" he spat. Brooke took a more serious, yet hurt look.

"Whatever, you know the deal. You do it with her or you do it with me," she said with a naughty wink. Nathan frowned in disgust.

"Just go, Brooke. Leave me the hell alone!" he suddenly snapped. Brooke was taken aback with the sudden outburst but she didn't insist. She just blew a kiss his way and walked away.

Nathan sighed in despair. He had just saved himself from what could've have been a real Davis-Hell. The girl's trick wasn't working with him. He wanted more. More than just hot sex or dating for the fun of dating. He wanted to be with someone he loved. Haley made him snap out of his reverie when she put her bag down.

"What the hell did she want?" she spat. Nathan shrugged.

"Haley, you scared me…well Brooke was just being, you know…Brooke…"

Haley looked the way the other girl left. From the way she looked, it wasn't friendly. She was throwing sabers Brooke's way. Nathan was lost in Haley's face. He had just stopped to look at her and he was hypnotized. The more and more he got to spend time with her, the more he enjoyed her presence.

"Hey Hales, do you wanna do something tonight? We could grab some food and go see a movie…what do you think?" he asked suddenly. She stared right through him. Chills went down his spine.

"Nathan Scott, are you asking me out on a date?" she inquired with a grin. He dumbly smiled back, feeling stupid for the way it must've come out.

"Well…I…if you…uh…" he stuttered, now red as a beet. She started laughing which made him feel even worse. His stomach was doing flips and he felt like he was gonna vomit. He had never this way before for a girl.

"I would love to", she finally replied with her shiniest smile. Nathan didn't say a thing. He couldn't. Instead he just smiled back.

"When can I pick you up" he finally managed to ask. Her face changed. It got colder by the second.

"At my house? Why don't we go directly instead" she replied nervously. He didn't know why she was getting nervous about him being around her house but he didn't insist.

"Are you sure your mom will be okay with it?" he asked. She nodded quickly.

"Yeah. Sure. She won't mind at all." She assured. Nathan didn't ask any more questions and agreed to take Haley out right after school. They both enjoyed the rest of their dinnertime, talking and laughing about nothing and everything.

XxXxXxXxX

The final bell rang. Nathan was startled by the sound of it. He had missed pretty much is whole literature class thinking about that one girl. The girl he was going to see for the whole night. The last time he got to spend time like that with her, they met Brooke and Haley ran home. She had not talked to him for days after that.

He started gathering his books and walked out of the class to his locker. He must've been really slow because Haley was already waiting there. Or maybe she was the one who had been really fast. It didn't matter much to him though, as long as he could be with her. She was smiling as always and he could feel himself weaken in the knees.

"Are you ready to go?" she asked. He just looked at her for a second, remembering every feature of her face and printing it in his subconscious. He nodded after a few seconds and tossed his books in his backpack. He picked up his cell phone and called his parents to say he was going to be late since he was going out with Haley. Once that was done, they grabbed each other's arms and ran off.

Haley decided to drag Nathan to a place she loved. She didn't say where but he couldn't say no to her. Plus, they had plenty of time before going to the restaurant. They walked for a little while, til the big buildings where getting out of sight. They talked during the whole thing. He talked about basketball; she talked about classes and tutoring. They finally reached the spot.

The place was beautiful. It was a park. Trees circled the little court and there was a river running down the side of the track. Nathan was daydreaming. The place was just beautiful. He wondered why nobody showed him that place before. He could've came down to practice basketball on Sunday mornings. Haley breathed all the fresh air in.

"This is the river court. I haven't been here in a long time. I kinda miss it…this is where Lucas and I used to come when we were just crazy kids fooling around." She explained. Nathan took a better look around.

"It's beautiful!" he exclaimed. She breathed out.

"It is" she replied.

Nathan walked on the court, followed closely by Haley. Hands in his pockets, he looked all around, just enjoying the moment. Haley suddenly let a little shriek out.

"What?" he asked.

"I know Lucas plays here sometimes with a bunch of friends. They used to leave a ball somewhere around here so they always have one just in case.." she replied looking around for a possible thing to use as a ball. He looked around as well.

"Found it!" she finally called in excitation. Nathan spun around to meet with the ball. Luckily for him, he had great reflexes and caught it before it beat him down. He felt it only to realize it was a little limp.

"I don't think it's gonna play very well" he said groping it. She laughed.

"I don't care!" she declared. He smiled, went for the hoop and flung it through the net. She burst out in applauds. He slightly blushed and threw the ball her way.

"Your turn now" he decided. She opened her mouth only to pout a little.

"Only if you don't watch" she replied.

"Why not?"

"Because you're all big shot and I suck really bad!" she confessed. He giggled.

"Come on, just try" he pleaded. She took her most fierce look and shot the ball. It didn't even reach the net.

"I told you!" she exclaimed, defeated. He came back with the ball and stuck himself right behind her.

"You've got the wrong technique, let me help you" he proposed, giving her the ball. He took the best position behind her. She could feel his breath on her neck. He felt so close his heart was racing.

"Now you face the net" he said guiding her every move. ", then you bring the ball just in front of your nose with good control over it" he added, gripping her hips so she wouldn't go away. "Now visualize your next shot, you need to see it in your head", he whispered in her ear. She closed her eyes. His body was so warm against hers. She shivered. He felt her shivering, held her tighter, and waited forever, not wanting this moment to ever end. Then finally, he reached her ear again to speak. "Now you just shoot," he breathed. She closed her eyes to the sound of his voice and let the ball slip off her hands. When she opened her eyes, the ball flew right through the net. Nathan was already cheering her but she barely heard anything. Her hearth was racing.

She spun around to face him and he stopped every motion when he saw the intensity in her eyes. They just stared at each other for what seemed like forever. Haley finally broke the silence.

"I don't want to go to the restaurant. Why don't we just have it here?" she proposed. He looked at her, a little confused but then she proposed they got delivery up to the river court. Nathan thought it was a fun idea and they tried. It did work even though the guy who delivered the pizza was looking at them with a funny look when he saw where he was at. Both kids didn't care as long as they had each other to be happy.

They ate their pizza with a lot of fun, sitting by the river, watching the sunset. As the night grew colder, they got closer. Haley started shivering. Noticing it, Nathan removed his hoodie and passed it around Haley's shoulders. She smiled, embracing the warmth. She turned to see his eyes. The silence had dawned up on them. She saw his blue eyes shine with the sparkle of the few lights that stood around. Her whole body shivered but it wasn't from the cold. He stared right back at her, as if he could see right through her soul.

He stared and she stared back. He felt like the clock had stopped ticking for this moment to last forever. She was staring right back, this light halo of light shinning around her whole self. His whole body shivered but it wasn't from the cold. Softly, he got closer to her. His head bent a little as hers came closer. They lips were almost brushing. She could feel his breath on her face. He could smell her soft skin close to his. She suddenly pulled away, roughly.

"I'm sorry, I can't do this," she blurted out.

"No, I'm sorry…I shouldn't…" he started but she cut him off.

"No it's my fault. I have to go" she announced, pulling the hoodie off her shoulders and walking away. Nathan took a few seconds to regain his composure then he sprinted after her.

"Haley wait!" he howled. Haley was pretty fast but he was even more. He grabbed her arm, forcing her to turn around.

"Nathan…"

"No, you're not running away again! Look I'm sorry about it but let's just say it didn't happen and be friends, ok?" he pleaded. She sighed.

"At least, let me walk you home. It's dark…you can decide if you forgive me or not" he added.

"I'm not mad at you..it's me…" she whispered.

"Never happened," he said. She nodded to let him know he could walk her home.

The whole way was silent. Nathan was studying Haley, waiting for her to say something but she never did. They almost reached her door when it flung open and an average heighted woman appeared. She was hardly standing straight and she reeked of alcohol.

"Where the hell were you, young lady?" She said slurring each word in between hick-ups.

"Like you cared!" Haley spat towards her mother. Lydia looked up and noticed Nathan for the first time.

"I care when you don't come home and you hang out with trashy boys" she spat, looking coldly at Nathan. Haley boiled in anger.

"The only trashy thing I see here, mom, it's you." Haley howled. Lydia went to slap her daughter but she lost all balance and ended up on the floor. Haley was boiling in anger. Lydia swore under her breath, got up and turned directly to Nathan.

"Do you know what that brat did? Did she ever tell you? Probably not because if you knew you'd be so far from her! Stay away you punk! Stay away from our lives" she squalled.

"I HATE YOU!" Haley shouted before running off to her room. Lydia sent one last look of disgust at Nathan before slapping the door shut. The poor kid was left alone on the porch.

XxXxXxXxX

Nathan stared at the ceiling. The night was growing long but he couldn't sleep. He kept thinking of her delicate, frightened face and his heart broke each time. They had almost kissed. Almost. The moment was perfect. He just loved her so much. It was almost four in the morning and Nathan was lying in his bed, wide awake.

Suddenly, his phone rang. He picked it up and smiled when he saw who it was.

_"Hello? I know. No, I couldn't sleep anyway. What, here? Ok, I'm coming. Bye"_

He hung up, picked a few clothes up and dressed quickly. He got back a few minutes later with Haley by his side. She looked terrified. They both sat on the bed and he waited for her to talk.

"What are you doing here?" he asked.

"I want you to know. I'm sick of the secrets! I need you to know everything," she cried. Nathan breathed an _OK._ and listened carefully to her.

"_I was twelve. I guess you could say I was a pretty innocent girl. Once my sister came home with tricks she learned to cast magic spells. We wanted to try it…but to perform the ceremony, we needed to light many candles. I guess my dad came into the room at some point and he got angry with us. My sister ran out to get my mom, leaving me with my dad…" _she took a break, now that her sobs were keeping her from telling her story. Nathan put a comforting hand on her knee. She felt a little better already.

_" We started fighting and then it got a little out of hand. I accidently pushed my dad on a bunch of candles. His clothes started burning…I…I…tried to help him but then my clothes caught fire too. That's all I remember because I woke up 10 days later at the hospital…I was burned and he was dead. My mom has been blaming me ever since, saying I should've been the one to burn that day…"_ she finished. At the point, her whole body was covered in tremors. Nathan took her in his arms and let her cry her whole pain out. He started rocking her back and forth.

"Shhh….it's ok. It's going to be ok. I'm here" he whispered softly.

"I'm so sorry" she cried.

"It's ok. It's ok. I'm here for you" he comforted.

She pulled away from him but with a lot of softness. They stared at each other for a couple of seconds before Haley plunged forward. Their lips crashed like waves in the morning. Nathan was surprised by the sudden move. He unconsciously pulled away. Haley looked at him with inquiring eyes.

"Why did you do that?" he asked.

"Because I wanted to…" she replied.

His face softened. His lips turned into a grin. Her eyes lit. They could say so much without actually talking. Their lips met again, this time both agreeing to it and the time stopped, leaving too souls to connect with one another in this hopeful night. And as they shared their passion, they knew for once that life was gonna be okay as long as they had each other to lean on.

XxXxXxXxX

_This is it folks! Again, I want to say how sorry I am for not updating sooner. I went through a pretty rough time after I last updated. It really took me that much time to get back into it..but you know, with school and stuff, I was just so busy. What didn't help too is that I sorta lost interest in the show so that didn't help either. I'm not here because I've gained that interest back, but I did get a boost to write my own stories. After all, it's better than watching the show I don't really appreciate anymore. I miss the old thing. The drama thing. Anyways, I do hope this chapter made up for my long time off. It was actually really fun to write. I'll try to write more soon. So tell me what you thought and I guess we'll see each other soon. Take care guys and enjoy your summer!_

_TBC._


End file.
